Clamp installation tool



July 15, 1958 w. R. LASHER CLAMP INSTALLATION TOOL Filed Sept. 26, 1955 INVENTOR W. A. LASHER Q WXWI' v ATTORNEY United States Patent CLAMP INSTALLATION TOOL WalterRay Lasher, Omaha, Nebr.

Application September 26, 1955, Serial No. 536,66?

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-9.3)

The present invention relates to tools for installing clamps and is particularly concerned with the applica tion and tight securement of wire hose clamps.

A wide variety of wire forming, bending and twisting machines and tools have heretofore been proposed and many have found a successful place in industry. Generally speaking, such devices may for the most part be classified under two headings: Power tools, where the entire structure is designed for the single wire forming operation and includes a self-contained power source and hand tools, wherein the tool is portable and manual strength is the sole source of power. Neither of the classes of devices are ideally suited to the installation and/or tightening of wire hose clamps, particularly in small shapes and where only periodic use is required.

The power tools are too cumbersome, complicated and expensive for use in other than factory production lines and the hand tools lack the necessary power and rigidity for insuring uniform and secure clamping. While a few clamp'applyingtools have been proposed in which hand power may be applied through screw means to multiply the force used, such devices are complicated by the inclusion of such means and are hence delicate and costly.

It is, therefore, among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel simple and improved device of the character set forth, which may be used with a conventional power or force applying means, thus neither involving the expense and complications of self-contained .power means nor incurring the danger of non-uniform and weak connections inherent in the use of hand tools.

Another object of thepresent invention is to provide a clamp installation tool which may be readily applied and removed from a conventional vise and one so constructed and arranged as to use the clamp movements and strength of the vise as a source of power for the strong and uniform forming of the wire in clamping relation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character set forth which will be simple in construction, readily and efiectively operable with a minimum of experience, strong and durable and well suited to meet the demands of economic manufacture.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a clamp tightening tool operable by the simple rectilinear and relative movement between only one pair of instrumentalities and wherein the total installation procedure may be performed by only such relative reciprocation together with movement of the hose itself to which the clamp is applied.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 showing by dotted lines the securing operation;

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the outer wire end engaging bars;

2,842,991 lcfi PatentedJuly 8 Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the inner loop engaging bar; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view further showing the end securing step in the operation of the device.

In that form of the invention here presented by way of example, the device may be generally defined as including an inner bar adapted to engage the central looped bite of a wire clamp and including anabutment adapted to receive pressure from one inner face of a vise jaw. The inner bar is slidably mounted between -a parallel pair of side bars between which is mounted a wire end securing bracket. The side bars are also joined by an abutment adapted to receive pressure from the other inner face of an opposed vise jaw. In operation, the clamp which is formed by a continuous wire having a central return bend or bite and inwardly extending hose encircling circular turns with free ends, is placed about the hose in the desired position, at which it is to be secured. The bite is then engaged by the end of the center bar, the present device having been placed upon a vise with the abutrnents engaging the opposite inner faces of the vise jaws. The inner free ends of the wire turns are then engaged with the bracket spanning the outer bars. Thus, it will be seen, that as the jaws of the vise are tightened separating the loop engaging end of the central bar from the bracket of the side bars, the turns of wire will be powerfully tightened about the hose. After adequate tightening a rolling of the hose over the loop engaging end and over the bite of the loop will hook the wire about the bite while pressure is applied thus to secure the installed clamp against subsequent loosening.

Referring now to the drawings, the hose to which the clamp is to be applied is indicated by the letter H. The wire clamp includes the central return bend or bite B inwardly from the ends of which are coiled the turns T which terminate in the inner free ends E. It will be understood, of course, that the purpose of the clamp is to secure the hose to some internal fitting, such as indicated at F which is usually a hose coupling member. The clamps as here illustrated, are formed of relatively stiff heavy gauge wire and are commonly sold loosely coiled, in the mannergenerally illustrated in Fig. 1, ready for application to the outer surface of theend ofa hose.

One feature of the invention, however, is that the device readily lends itself to the forming of such a clamp for straight wire which may be looped about the end of the central bar and conveniently coiled inwardly about the hose and secured to the bracket for tightening in the manner hereinafter described.

The tool of the present invention includes a central elongate bar it), here shown as generally rectangular in cross section. Over the bar 10 adjacent one end thereof there is secured as by welding, an inverted and elongated U-shaped fixture 11 the outwardly spaced depending legs 12 of which secure therebetween a rectangular transverse abutment 13. The abutment 13 may be welded or otherwise securely attached between the legs 12 and may be similarly secured to the lower face of the bar 10 with which the central portion of its upper face is in contact. The opposite outer end of the bar 10 is formed with an under cut 14 forming a top transverse lip 15 under which the bite B of the clamp may be engaged, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

As heretofore indicated, the device is to be used in connection with a conventional vise, the jaws of which are here shown by the letter I. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the bar 10, with the side bars hereinafter to be described in detail, is to be laid on top of the jaws to extend therebetween, each end extending slightly beyond the inner face of the jaws when they are in open position. It will also be noted, that the device when properly placed provides for the location of the abutment 13 between the jaw faces, its inner side face bearing against and adapted to receive thrust from one jaw, here shown to the right in Figs. 1 and 2. The opposite outer end with its lip 15 protrudes slightly from the upper curved surface of the opposite jaw so as to provide for the ready reception of the bite B under the lip 15 and bearing against the undercut 14.

The central bar 10 is mounted between a pair of similar parallel side bars for relative sliding longitudinal movement and preferably in bearing relation thereto. The inner free ends 21 of the side bars 20 are received within and guided by the legs 12 of the fixture 11 for free slidable movement with respect to the central bar 10. At the opposite outer ends the bars 20 are joined by a transverse abutment 22 similar to and parallel with the abutment 13 welded or otherwise secured on the under face of the bars. The upper faces of the bars 20 are joined by a wire end receiving bracket 23 preferably welded thereto and including an upwardly and inwardly inclined wire end anchor 24. The outer terminal ends of the side bars 20 may be formed with inwardly recessed surfaces 25 to accommodate the clamp material as the hose is coupled over the end of the bar 10 to secure the ends and release the clamp.

In the operation of the device with the bars assembled as in Figs. 1 and 2, and with the abutments bearing against the opposite inner faces of the vise jaws, whilesuch jaws are in open or spread position, the clamp is placed about the hose H after the fixture F is inserted. The bite B is engaged under the lip 15 and the free ends E of the wire of the clamp are secured behind the anchor 24 as by inter-twining them as shown. With the parts thus assembled, it will be seen that upon closing of the vise jaws in the usual manner, pressure will be applied through the abutments to move the central bar 10 outwardly and the outer bars 20 inwardly respectively, towards the dotted line position as shown in Fig. 2. Such movement under the multiplied power inherent in the operation of the vise will be seen to draw the turns T of the clamp very tightly about the hose H to firmly secure it to the fixture F inserted therein.

When appropriate pressure has been applied by such relative movement between surface 14 and anchor 24, the hose is rolled forwardly toward the outer end of the central bar 10 and thereafter downwardly over the lip 15. Since, the free ends of the wire of the clamp are restrained by their engagement with the anchor 24 and since, they lie inward of the bite B, it will be seen that such downward rolling will hook the free end about the bite as seen in Fig. 5, to thus secure the clamp in the binding relation induced by the force of the vise jaws. Thereafter the jaws may be reversed to move towards open position releasing the tension on the clamp and the anchored ends of the clamp may be removed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel, simple effective and efficient means for installing hose clamps and one by which such pressure as desired, may be applied without requiring undue strength of the operator and without the necessity of self-contained power means. In the practice of the invention, it will be.understood that numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalents may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scope thereof, as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire hose clamp installing tool of the character described an elongate central rectangular 'bar formed with a clamp bite engaging lip at the outer end thereof and a depending inner vise jaw surface engaging abutment at the opposite inner end, a pair of elongate rectangular side bars longitudinally embracing the central bar therebetween, a depending inner vise jaw surface engaging abutment joined between said side bars and an upstanding clamp end anchor joined between said side bars above said central bar. v

2. In a wire hose clamp installing tool of the character described an elongate central rectangular bar formed with a clamp bite engaging lip at the outer end thereof and a depending inner vise jaw surface engaging abutment at the opposite inner end, a pair of elongate rectangular side bars longitudinally embracing the central bar therebetween, a depending inner vise jaw surface engaging abutment joined between said side bars and an upstanding clamp end anchor joined between said sidebars above said central bar, the outer ends of said side bars being formed with inwardly recessed surfaces to accommodate the clamp material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,012,282 Schlangen Dec. 19, 1911 1,072,301 Blake Sept. 2, 1913 2,448,815 Mattocks Sept. 7, 1948 2,591,158 Jelinek Apr. 1, 1952 

